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title: Getting started with Arduino

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# Getting started with Arduino

20210427

Hello Saumya and Aaryan, I will walk you though setting up your Arduino in this guide. There are many different Arduino boards. The board you have is called  [Cytron Maker Uno](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cytrontech/6-maker-uno-simplifying-arduino-for-education). I picked it because it has some features like leds for each pin and onboard buzzer and buttons. It also works with microUSB, which is much more common than the normal Arduino USB-B cables.

Here are some resources you can refer to if you get stuck:
* Cytron website: [https://www.cytron.io/p-maker-uno-simplifying-arduino-for-education](https://www.cytron.io/p-maker-uno-simplifying-arduino-for-education)
* Maker Uno User Manual: [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJIF-tssdoxk8qAq2aHBmPwVHulFL_lSElOhA17Du64/edit](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJIF-tssdoxk8qAq2aHBmPwVHulFL_lSElOhA17Du64/edit) . It also has setting up guide for Cython Maker Uno.
* Main Arduino website: [https://www.arduino.cc/](https://www.arduino.cc/)
* Their getting started with Arduino guide: [https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide](https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide)

### Setting up
First of all, we need to download the chip drivers for Maker Uno and the Arduino IDE.
##### Drivers: 
[Windows Driver](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kk0b2HTYLKBXxS4TNNlC_neef6iE94sV/view)
[Mac Driver](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iZ4fO-eAttw0ztlWVN_VTPB9cVSOu3CX/view)
Make sure that the board is connected to your PC when you install these

##### IDE:
Link: [https://www.arduino.cc/en/software#download](https://www.arduino.cc/en/software#download)
Arduino uses a language called Processing. If you have ever used C, you should be right at home. If you come from Python land, it might feel a bit unfamiliar but you should get used to it pretty quickly. 


This is a nice introduction to the Arduino ecosystem.
[https://cdn.cytron.io/makeruno/Maker_Uno_Edu_Kit_Module.pdf](https://cdn.cytron.io/makeruno/Maker_Uno_Edu_Kit_Module.pdf) 

Go through it and try running the blink example. 

This is a detailed (but slightly outdated guide) about getting started with Arduino. You should go through the beginning chapters to get a feel for Arduino and the IDE [http://introtoarduino.com/downloads/IntroArduinoBook.pdf](http://introtoarduino.com/downloads/IntroArduinoBook.pdf)


### Your first project
Make a clock that displays time in binary using the leds connected to the cytron pins. Seconds and Minutes will require six leds each, because to represent 60, you need six bits (you can represent numbers up to 63 using 6 bits). 

Check binary conversions here: https://decimaltobinary.pro/60 

Since our board has 14 pins, and we use 6 pins for seconds and 6 pins for minutes, we won't be able to represent hours. 

I would suggest the following scheme:
Pins 2-7 for Seconds
Pins 7-14 for Minutes

### Troubleshooting

If your board doesn't show up on your PC, try using a different micro-usb cable. Some cables don't have data lines and are power only.

**If you get stuck or have any questions, feel free to call/text me any time.**

In the next installment, we will explore breadboards and multimeters and different electronic components.
Happy Making!
